Breathing Life Back Into Life-Lease Shacks

Deputy Leader in the Upper House Michelle Lensink has draft parliamentary legislation for consultation which will provide South Australian shack owners with certainty they will be able to enjoy their shacks for generations to come. (Tuesday, 17 January 2012)

The Private Member’s Bill will allow leasees of ‘life-lease’ shack sites to enter in a sub-leasing arrangement with the local Council, where the Council will take over care, control and management of the sites.

These measures will not only end a long running dispute between the State Government and shack owners over exorbitant rent prices, but will finally entitle them to renewable tenure.

The State Labor Government has refused to grant renewable tenure to many shack owners, preferring to see an important part of the SA’s holiday culture slowly extinguished.

Ms Lensink said the Bill would inject investment and life back into communities that had been neglected by a hypocritical Labor Government, obsessed with votes in metropolitan Adelaide.

“South Australians holding ‘life-leases’ on their shacks have been kept in a constant state of unknown by this Labor Government, who by the stroke of a pen can cancel the lease,” she said.

“The sites currently can’t be transferred or renewed, meaning there is simply no incentive for site owners to invest into a property which they could lose in the blink of an eye.

“My Bill will give the decision-making powers back to the community and will kick-start investment to ensure all shacks meet environment and safety standards.

“Most importantly my Bill will preserve a historic piece of South Australia’s holiday culture for decades into the future.”